Power supplying means for radio receiving apparatus



1.. SHAPI'RO Sept. 15, 1931.

POWER SUPPLYING MEANS FOR RADIO RECEIVING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1923 100 nouns 0F opmmou AT wen LOAD 7 ll u. .u

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POWER SUPPLYING MEANS FOR RADIO RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 2 .SHAPIRU I \\\W\\\W\\H\m| I i 931 his a t/tom ad Sept. 15, 1931. L. SHAPIRO ,0

POWER SUPPLYING MEANS FOR RADIO RECEIVING APPARATUS Fil Jam 1923 3 sheeks-sheet s auoemtoz L. HAPI o 1 his 61 0130 421401; (L a WWW? Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAZARUS SHAPIRO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO RADIO CORPORATION O AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE POWER SUPPLYING MEANS FOR RADIO RECEIVING APPARATUS Application filed January 9, 1923. Serial No. 611,666.

This invention relates to radio receiving apparatus and particularly to the power supplying me'ans for heating the filaments and energizing the plate circuits of the vacuum tubes of radio receiving apparatus.

It has heretofore been customary to provide sets of radio receiving apparatus with a plurality of power "units, one of said units being constructed to deliver a relatively large current at relatively low voltage for heating the filaments of the vacuum tubes, and anotherof the units being constructed to deliver a small current at relatively high voltage for energizing the plate circuits of the tubes. The use of such separate power units has been found to be objectionable in many ways. One of the objections to their use consists in the fact that in order to connect up the power supplying means with a set of radio receiving apparatus, it is necessary to perform a number of operations. A further objection is that the provision of a number of power units affords opportunity for mistake on the part of an unskilled user of the apparatus to make wrong connections between the power units and the circuits ofthe radio receiving apparatus. For/example, it frequently happens in the assembling of sets, that an unskilled user will connect up the battery intended for use in the plate circuit of the set with the filamentof a tube or tubes,

The battery for energizing the plate circuits of the tubes necessarily has a much higher voltage than that which the filaments of the tubes are designed to sustain, the consequence being that, when the plate battery is connected with the filaments of the tubes, the filaments are quickly burned out and the tubes destroyed. A still further serious objection to the use of separate power units for heating the filaments of the tubes and energizing the plate circuits is that, when the operation of a radio receiving set becomes unsatisfactory, it imposes the requirement on the user of the set to determine, not only whether the defect arises from the exhaustion of one of his power units, but also to'determine whether it is the filament heating battery or the plate circuit battery which is becoming exhausted. The majority of users of radio receiving apparatus, however, possess neither the skill nor the instruments required for ascertaining whether a battery is becoming exhausted, and, in consequence, it is generally diflicult for a user to learn whether defective performance of his radio receiving apparatus is due to the exhaustion of one of the batteries, and if so which of the batteries is becoming exhausted. 7

It is an object of this invention to provide power supplying means for radio receiving apparatus which will be much more convenient and safe in use than the power supplying means heretofore employed, and which will also cause the radio receiving apparatus to operate more efiiciently and satisfactorily than heretofore.

To this end, an important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a single power unit for heating the filament and energizing the plate circuit of a vacuum tube and means for simultaneously connecting the, power unit to the filament and the plate circuit of. the tube. Preferably, and in the present embodiment of the invention, the. power unit and its connections to the circuits of the tube are also so constructed as to render of the tube so as to burn out the filament and destroy the tube. I

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the power supplying means consists of asingle power unit comprising a battery for delivering a relatively large current at relatively low voltage to heat the filaments of a vacuum tube installation and a second battery for delivering a small current at relatively high voltage for energizing the ,plate circuits of the installation, said batteries be ing so constituted as regards the size and number of the cells in each battery, that the lives of the batteries in normal use will be substantially the same. The construction of the power unit as above described has important advantages which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

A further important feature of the invention contemplates the sealing of the devices for connecting the power unit to a set of radio receiving apparatus, so as to render it impossible for the power unit to be used without such fact becoming apparent upon inspection.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a radio receiving apparatus comprising a plurality of amplifying tubes,.and means for applying difl'erent -plate voltages to the several amplifying tubes in accordance with their different outputs. Preferably, and in the illustrated construction, the radio receiving apparatus includes a rectifying tube and a plurality of audio frequency amplifying tubes, and the battery for energizing the plate circuits of the tubes comprises two groups of cells, the cells of one group being of somewhat larger size than those of the other group, and the connections between the battery and the radio receiving apparatus being so arranged that the voltage from the larger cells only is impressed upon the plate-circuits of the rectifying tube and the amplifying tube adjacent thereto, whereas the voltage from all of the cells of the plate battery is impressed upon the plate circuits of the final amplifying tubes so that the voltage on the latter tubes is greater than that on the preceding tubes. The number and size of the larger cells of the plate battery are preferably so proportioned to the number and size of the smaller cells that the life of one of the groups of cells in the plate battery is in normal use substantially equal to the life of the other group.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, and

' will be pointed out in the appended claims.

the strip of paper for sealing the In the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like parts: throughout the 'various views;

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a power unit constructed in accordance with the invention, and having its outer casing partially broken away, so as better to reveal the filament heating battery and the plate circuit battery;

Fig. 2 is a view of the power unit in longitudinal section; 8

Fig. 3 illustrates the means of sealing the parts which enable the power unit to be connected to a set of radio receiving apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a view in section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with P -O ings of the power unit removed;

Fig. 6 is a dia ammatic representation of the batteries indlcatin that they will endure the same number of ours of operation at rated load;

- Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the terminal block or jack mounted within the casing of the power unit;

Fig. 8 is a view in 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the contacts of the terminal block;

Fig. 10 is a view of the power unit in end elevation, and with a plug inserted to connect the power unit with a set of radio receiving apparatus;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the plug shown in Fig. 10; r

Fig. 12 is a vertical transverse section along the line 1212 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a modified form of power unit, in which the plate battery comprises two groups of cells of different sizes and in which the cells of the filament heating battery are indicated in broken lines; and

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic representation section along the line of the circuit arrangement of a set of radio receiving apparatus in which the inventionv may be embodied.

The radio receiving apparatus shown in Fig. 14 comprises an antenna 10 connected to ably includes a loud speaker 22. The filaments of the tubes 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 are heated'by current which passes from a source of suitable potential, for example, 4.5 volts along a conductor 24 including a rheostat 25 to a common conductor 26, and from thence through the filaments of the tubes to a conductor 28 connected by a wire 30 to a point of zero potential, which is'preferably grounded in any suitable manner (not shown). The grid circuits of the radio frequency amplifying tube 12 and the audio frequency amplifying tubes 16, 18 and 20 are connected to a 4 common conductor 32, upon which is imposed a small negative potential such, for example, as 3 volts. As shown, the conductor 32 is connected to a point of 3 potential by a lead wire 34. The grid circuit 36 of therectifying tube 14, however, is preferably not connected to the conductor 32, but to the conductor 28 on the negative side of the tube filament circuits. The plate circuits of the radio frequency amplifying tube 12, the rectifying tube 14 and the audio frequency amplifying tube 16 adjacent to the rectifying tube 14, are connected to a common conductor 40 and are energized at a suitable potential, for example, 42 volts, through a wire 38 leading to the conductorv 40. The plate circuits of the tubes 12, 14 and 16 are completed through the'filaments of the tubes to the conductor 28 and thence through the wire 30 to zero v more efliciently and satisfactorily if the volt age on the final amplifying tube or tubes is increased to correspond with the increasein the power on the tubes. In accordance with one of the features ofthe invention, therefore,

the plate circuits of the final amplifying tubes 18 and 20 are not connected to the conductor 40 butto a conductor 42, which leads to a ,source of potential considerably greater than the ptential of the conductor 40, the increased potential being, for example, and as indicated in Fig. 14 of the drawings, 123 volts.

As indicated in the drawings,the current for heating the filaments of the tubes 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 respectively is supplied by a battery 44 which, as is usual in the art, is constructed to deliver a large current at low voltage. The current for energizing the plate circuits of the tubes 12, 14 and 16 re spectively is supplied by a source of potential 46" which may be a sectionof a battery 46, which also includes a second section 46' connected'in series with the section 46 of the audio frequency amplifying tubes Band 20. The negative or biasing potential 3 on the conductor 32 of the grid circuits of the tubes 12, 16, 18 and 20 is derived from a source of potential 46" which may alsobe a part of the battery 46. The battery 46, as is also usual in the art, is constructed to supply a relatively small current at high voltage.

The single power unit which is employed in accordance with the invention comprises a container 48, which may be of rectangular form, as shown, and which houses both the battery 44 for heating the filaments of the vacuum tubes and the battery 46 for energizing the plate circuitsof the tubes. In order to generate the relatively high voltage required for energizing the plate circuits of the tubes, the battery 46 includes a considerable number of cells, but inasmuch as only a relatively small current is required in the plate circuits, the individual cells 49 of the battery 46 may be small.

As shown in the drawings, the battery 44 consists of three relatively large cells, which deliver a relatively large current at low voltage suitable for heating the filaments of the vacuum tubes. In order to enable the batteries to be compactly assembled within the container 48, the small cells 49 of the battery 46 are disposed in upright position in the bottom portion of the container 48, and the cells of -the battery 44 are arranged horizontally in the upper portion of the container tainer as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The conf tainer 48 is preferably constructed in the form of a cardboard box, and the space within the container not occupied by the cells of the batteries or the other parts associated therewith is preferably filled up with sealing compound (not shown).

Mounted on the inner surface ofone of the end walls of the box 48 is a terminal block 54, which is composed of bakelite or some other suitable insulating material. The terminal block 54 may be secured to the box 48 by screws 56 passing ,through ears 58 at the ends of the block. Preferably and as shown, the block 54 is molded in a single piece and is provided with contact members 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68 projecting outwardly therefrom for attachment to wires connected to the batteries 44 and 46. The wires from the bat-.

teries may'manifestly be connected with the contact members 68 in any suitable manner, as, for example, by soldering. For the sake of convenience in connecting the contact members of the terminal block to the batter-.

ings 70. t

In order to obtain the voltage required for the plate circuits of the amplifying tubes I 18 and 20, the battery 46, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, contains a total of 84 cells connected together in series.

As shown, in Fig. 13, the contact member 60 of the terminal block 54 is connected by a wire 74 to the carbon of one of the end cells of the battery, 'and the contact member 66 of the block 54 is connected with the zinc of the third cell from the other end of the battery. Accordingly, 82 cells are connected in series between the contactelements 60 and 66 of the terminal'block, and since each of the cells generates a potential of approximately 1.5 volts, the voltage at the contact member 60 is about +123. The contact member 62 of the block 54 is joined by a wire 76 to the carbon of the 55th cell of the series, so that a voltage of about +42 is obtained at such contact member. The cells of the filamerit heating battery 44 are also connected in series, and the contact member 64 of the terminal block 54 is connected by a-wire 7 8 to the carbon of one of the end cells of the series, the zinc, of the cell at the other end of the series being connected by a wire 80 to the contact member 66 of zero potential.

power unit with the circuits of a set of radio receivlng apparatus comprises a plug 81 having contact pins 82, 84, 86, 88 and 90 arranged to engage the contact members 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68 respectively within the openings 70 of the terminal block 54. The contact pins 82, 84, 86, 88 and 90 respectively, are connected by suitable wires to the conductor 42, wire 38, conductor 24, and wires 30 and 34 of the radio receiving apparatus (Fig. 14). In this manner a positive potential of 123 volts is imposed upon the plate circuits of the final audio frequency amplifying tubes 18 and 20; a positive potential of 42 volts is imposed upon the plate circuits of the radio frequency amplifying tube 12, the rectifying tube 14 and the first audiofrequency amplifying tube 16, such voltages being derived from the battery 46; a relatively large current from the battery 44 is caused to pass through the filaments of the tubes to heat them and a negative potential of 3 volts is impressed upon the conductor 32 in the grid circuits of the radio frequency amplifying tube 12 and the audio frequency amplifying tubes 16, 18 and 20. From the foregoing, it will be understood that the first 54 cells of the battery 46 constitute the section or'group 46, Fig. 14, that the next 28 cells constitute the group 46, and that the last two cells constitute the source of biasing grid potential 46" The voltages imposed on the plate circuits of the radio frequency amplifying tube 12, the rectifying tube 14 and the first audio frequency amplifying tube 16, on the one hand, and on the plate circuits of the final audio frequency amplifying tubes 18 and 20 on the other, may vary considerably from those mentioned above, that is, 42 volts. on,

volts on the lastmentioned plate circuits.

It has been found to be desirable, however, under ordinary conditions of operation of the radio receiving apparatus that the potential on the plate circuits of the tubes 12, 14 and 16 shall be less than 60 volts and that the potential on the'plate circuits of the final audio frequency amplifying tubes 18 and 20 shall be greater than volts.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, all of the cells of the battery 46 are of the same size. I prefer, however to make the cells which supply current to the plate circuits of the radio frequency amplifying tube 12, the rectifying tube 14 and the audio frequency amplifying tube 16 of somewhat larger size than the remaining cells of the battery 46. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 13, the

group of cells for energizing the. plate circuits of the tubes 12, Hand 16 are of, the same height as the preceding cells of the battery 46, but are of a diameter substantially 1 times the diameter of the preceding cell Manifestly, however, like results may be obtained by making all of the cells of equal diameter, the cells of one group being longer than those of the other, orby making the cells of one group of larger dimension both in length and diameter than those ofthe other group.

It will be understood from the foregoing that, when the contact pins 8290 of the plug 81 are inserted into the openings 71 and 7 0 of the box and the terminal block 54 respectively, the filament heating battery 44 and the plate battery 46 are simultaneouslyconnected to their respective circuits. Moreover, with the terminal block 54 and plug 81 constructed as hereinbefore described, it will also be understood that, upon the connection of either the battery 44 or 46 into its circuit, the other battery is necessarily also connected into its circuit, thus assuring that whenever one of the batteries 44 or 46 is in use, the remaining battery will also be in use.

In accordance with valuable features of the present invention, the number and size of the cells of the group 46" of relatively large cells is so proportioned to the number and size of the cells of the .group 46 as to cause these main sections of the battery 46 to have substantially equal lives, and the batteries 44 and 46 are also so constituted with regard to the size and number of the cells in each bat-l te ry that the lives of the batteries in normal use in a radio receiving 'set will be substantially the same. The consequency of such construction of the batteries 44 and 46, to-

getherwith the fact that the terminal block 54 and the plug 81 are so constructed that-one battery cannot be connected into its circuit without the other battery being also connected into its circuit, is that the battery 44 and the groups 46 and 46 of the battery 46 willbecome exhausted at substantially the same time. The knowledge by the user of radio receiving apparatus equipped with the improved power supplying means of the fact that both batteries of the power unit 46 have equal lives assures him that upon exhaustion of any part of the power unit, the entire unit may be replaced by a new one without loss, and thus relieves him from the necessity of endeavoring to determine which of the batteriesis becoming exhausted. Moreover, the fact that only a single power unit is employed enables the user of a radio receiving set to recall accurately the date of renewal of his power system and to judge upon any defective performanceof the radio-receiving aparatus whether the defects are, or are not likely to be due to exhaustion of the power supplying means. If it seems likely that the power unit needs to be renewed, it is necessary only to substitute a single new power J'signed for the utilization of cells of such type. If dry cells are not used immediately after their manufacture, they deteriorate more and more as time passes, and it is found that small cells deteriorate proportionally more rapidly than do larger cells. Consequently, if one of the improved power units is kept on the shelf of a store for a considerable period of time before use, the life in use of the plate battery 46 which is composed of relatively small cells will be shortened to a greater extent than that of the battery 44. The average time which expires between the making of a battery and the putting of the battery into actual use. may be estimated as six months. It is recognized, therefore, that it may be desirable to proportion the batteries 44 and 46 so that, if a power unit is stored for six months, during which the batenergy in the discarding o tery 46 deteriorates somewhat morerapidly than the battery 44, and is then put into use in a radio-receiving set, the lives of the batteries will be the same, whereas if the battery is immediately put to use or is put to use three months after its manufacture, the life of the battery 46 will be somewhat longer than that of the battery 44, and if the power unit is not used until nine months or one year from the date of its manufacture, the life of the battery 44 will be somewhat longer than that of the battery 46. In none of the cases mentioned, however, would there be a sufli cient difference in the lives of the batteries in actual use to entail any a preciable loss of fthe entire power unit upon the exhaustion of one of the batteries.

As appears clearly from Figs. 3, 5 and 7 of the drawings, the openings 70 of the terminal block or jack 54 containing the contact members 68 are arranged in two rows spaced vertically from each other, the top row comprising two and the bottom row comprising three openings. The pins 8290 on the plug 81 are, of course, arranged similarly to the openings 70.- This arrangement of the openings in the terminal, block 54 and the contact pins 8290 on the plug 8 1 renders it impossible to connect the atter1es-44 and.46 into a set of radio receiving apparatus except in the proper manner. The useof the improved power unit in tially the same.

a set of radio receiving apparatus accordingly goes far toward making the set foolproof, in that it is impossible for the plate battery 46 to be connected into the filament heating circuit of the vacuum tubes, so'as to burn out the tubes.

To the end that it may apparent upon inspection of one of the .ll'I'lPl'OX'GCl power unitswhether or not the power unithas been used, means is provided for sealing the contact members 60-68 of the terminal block'54. Such means may comprise a strip of paper or other flexible material 92 disposed over the outer ends of the openings 71 in the box 48, and having its end portions turned inwardly through slits 94 located above and below the openings 71. The ends of the strip 92 are secured within'the container so as to prevent the strip from being removed by steaming or otherwise and thenv of the block through the openings 71 in the box it is necessary to tear or perforate the strip 92, and such tearing or perforation of the strip becomes manifest upon subsequent inspection.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture for use with a vacuum tube installation such as radio receiving apparatus, a power unit comprisingtwo batteries housed in a single container, one of said batteries consisting of a relatively large number of small cells for delivering a relatively small current at high voltage and the other of said batteries consisting of a relatively small number of relatively large cells for delivering a relatively large current at low voltage, said batteries being so constituted with regard to the size and number of the cells in each battery that, when the power unit is connected in a vacuum tube installation for energizing the plate circuit or circuits of the vacuum tube or tubes of the installation by the first-mentioned battery and heating the filament or filaments of the tube or tubes by the secondmentioned battery, the lives of the two batteries will be substantially the same.

2. As an article of manufacture for use in a vacuum tube installation such as radio re; ceiving apparatus, a power unit comprising two batteries housed in a single container, the cells of the'respect-ive batteries being so constituted with regard to their number and size that, when the power unit is connected in the vacuum tube installation so as to energize the plate circuit of a tube by one of said batteries and-to heat the filament of the tube by the other of said batteries, the lives of the two batteries will be substan- 3. As an article of manufacture for use with a vacuum tube installation, such as radio receiving apparatus, a power unit comprising a cardboard container, a large number of relatively small cells arranged in upright position in the bottom portion of the container for energizing the plate circuit of a vacuum tube of relatively high voltage, a horizontal plate located above the tops of the upright cells, and a second battery consisting of relatively large cells supported in horizontal position on said plate for delivering a relatively large current at relatively low voltage for heating the filament of the vacuum tube.

4. As an article of manufacture for use with a vacuum tube installation, such as radio receiving apparatus, a power unit comprising a container housing two batteries, one of said batteries consisting of a relatively large number of small cells for delivering arelatively small current at high voltage to energize the plate circuit of a vacuum tube and the other of said batteries comprising a relatively small number of large cells for delivering a relatively large current at low voltage for heating the filament of the vacuum tube, a terminal block mounted on the inner surface of one of the walls of the container, means on the terminal block for enabling the power unit to with yieldable coiled portions molded into' the block in alignment with said openings for engagement by suitable plugs to connect the batteries into said circuits.

LAZARUS SHAPIRO.

be connected to a vacuum tube installation,

and means for sealing said connecting means. 5. As an article of manufacture for use with a vacuum tube installatlon, such as radio receiving apparatus, a power unit comprising a single box containing two batteries, one of said batteries consisting of a relatively largenumber of small cells for delivering a relatively small current at high voltage to energize the plate circuit of a vacuum tube and the other of said batteries comprising a relatively small number of large cells for delivering a relatively large current at low voltage for heating thefilament of the vacuum tube, a terminal block mounted on the inner surface of one side of the box, said block and the adjacent portion of the side of the box being perforated to receive plugs for connection of the power unit with the vacuum tube installation, and the side of the box being provided at opposite sides of the perforated area with slits, and means for sealing the contacts of the terminal block, said means comprising a strip of flexible material disposed over the outer ends of said perforations and having portions turned inwardly through said slits and secured within the box.

6. As an article of manufacture for use with a vacuum tube installation, such as radio receiving apparatus, a power unit comprismg a single container housing twobatteries,

, one of said batteries consisting of a considerable number of relatively small cells for delivering a relatively small current at high voltage for energizing the plate circuit of a vacuum tube and the other of said batteries consisting of a relatively small number of large cells for delivering a relatively large 

